Merja Laitinen

Social work practices and research with Sámi people and communities in the frame of indigenous social work

This special issue is a unique contribution to the research discussions on the Sámi people and communities in the area of social work. The Sámi homeland is located in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Northwest Russia, in the north Barents region. This Arctic area where the Sámi people live has been subjected to dramatic societal and cultural changes. For example, their forced assimilation into the mainstream culture has had many impacts: the loss of a traditional way of living, the loss of their native language and oppression by the main national culture. The historical background is still reflected in the lives of the Sámi people (see more in e.g. Lehtola, 2002, 2016). This special edition is timely because it addresses the need for culturally sensitive knowledge about welfare issues, social service delivery questions and social work practices regarding the Sámi people and communities (cf. Hedlund and Moe, 2010). The issue leans on the indigenisation of social work and promotes the development of local theories and practices by recognising silent voices and experiences. It aims to develop theory, research and practice in international social work by analysing locality-specific, culturally relevant social work practices and research within a globalising world from the Sámi point of view (e.g. Dominelli, 2012; Gray and Coates, 2008). It stresses the meanings of cultural competence in social work practices and research as well as the ability to integrate cultural knowledge and sensitivity with skills for more effective and culturally appropriate assistance and knowledge production processes (e.g. Weaver, 1999). Cultural competence is tightly connected to the social work ethical principles. It is a process by which individuals and systems respond respectfully to people in a manner that recognises, affirms and values the worth of individuals, families and communities and protects and preserves the dignity of each. The aim of this special issue is to produce ethically considered research knowledge about social work with Sámi people and communities. Accordingly, the issue is located among promoting acts to respect ethnic and cultural diversity and empower ethnic minority groups (e.g. Chau and Yu, 2009). The focus of the issue is on social work practices and research with Sámi people and communities in the frame of indigenous social work (see Gray et al., 2008). Dealing with indigenous social work issues is a sensitive phenomenon. It is well known that an insider perspective offers deep and reliable ways of knowing that respect cultural heritage and ways of living (e.g. Hart, 2010). During the editing process, we have pondered questions like ‘Who has a right to know about or “with” indigenous Sámi people? How can knowledge about social work with Sámi people be produced in an ethically sound way?’. We do not take a stance towards these questions, but we highlight the meanings of motives behind knowledge production. Motives, as background of research and knowledge production, define how equality and social justice can be promoted in social work research at both a practical and an ideological level (see Mikkonen et al., 2016). 651212 ISW0010.1177/0020872816651212International Social WorkEditorial editorial2016